My Mother's Kitchen: Tarte Au Sucre

Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix flour, sugar, yeast, and salt on low speed until well combined. Add eggs and yolk and mix for a further 5 minutes on low speed to combine.

Increase the speed to medium-low and slowly add half of the butter a few spoonfuls at a time. Remove the hook and knead the dough by hand in the bowl a few times, repeatedly folding it over on itself, to help incorporate the butter.

Reattach the hook, resume medium–low speed, and add the remaining butter a few spoonfuls at a time. Increase the speed to medium and knead for a further 4 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, and shiny, and slaps against the sides of the bowl. If your kitchen is warm, the dough may seem too loose at this point.

Do not add extra flour, because this will result in a tough brioche once baked. Wrap the brioche dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Line a 22cm tart pan or cake tin with baking paper and grease the paper. Spread the dough evenly into the pan and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, around 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Stir cream and sugar together in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Use your fingertips to make many little indents in the top of the risen dough, then pour the sugared cream over the top.

Bake for 15–20 minutes until the brioche is a deep golden brown and the cream is bubbling and caramelised. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.